Department for Transport

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Baroness Young of Old Scone: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Natural England are planning to report on net loss of biodiversity measurements in relation to Phase 1 of the HS2 project, as called for in the Report published in February of the House of Commons Select Committee on the High Speed Rail (London–West Midlands) Bill (HC129); and if so, when that report will be published.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Department for Transport plans to publish both Natural England’s review of the No Net Loss to Biodiversity metric and the Government’s response before the end of the HS2 Select Committee in the Lords.

Blue Badge Scheme

Lord Bowness: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will seek to preserve the mutual recognition of disabled persons’ Blue Badges throughout the UK and EU in their negotiations to leave the EU.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government is considering carefully all the potential implications arising from the UK’s exit from the EU, including the implications of preserving the mutual recognition of disabled persons’ Blue Badges throughout the UK and EU. Until we leave, EU law still applies, so EU rules in this area will continue to apply in the UK, alongside national rules.

Buses: Exhaust Emissions

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty’s Government to what extent emission standards for buses and coaches are set by (1) the Traffic Commissioners, (2) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and (3) highway authorities; and who is responsible for ensuring that these standards are adhered to.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Emissions standards for new buses and coaches are not set by any of the parties named, but by the government through EU type approval legislation. Type Approval Authorities such as the UK’s Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) are responsible for ensuring that these standards are met. In-service emissions checking is carried out at the statutory annual inspection by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

Department for Education

Aerospace Industry: Apprentices

Lord Jones: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many apprenticeships are currently in place in the UK aerospace industry.

Lord Nash: Data on apprenticeship starts by framework for the 2002/03 to 2015/16 (full year provisional) academic years is given in the attached document. Apprenticeship data is not available by industry. Within an industry, a learner may undertake a wide range of apprenticeship frameworks.



Apprenticeship Starts by Framework
(Excel SpreadSheet, 106.37 KB)

Welsh Language: Education

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to make available the teaching of the Welsh language in schools in England.

Lord Nash: Primary and secondary schools can choose to teach the Welsh language to pupils if there is sufficient demand. It is possible for a pupil in England to take privately a Welsh language GCSE offered in Wales if an examination centre is willing to accept them. This will include a revised Welsh Second Language GCSE available for first teaching from September 2017.

English Baccalaureate

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish the results of their Consultation on implementing the English Baccalaureate, launched in November 2015.

Lord Nash: The results of the consultation on implementing the English Baccalaureate and the Government’s response will be published in due course.

Vocational Guidance: Disability

The Lord Bishop of Ely: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that schools, further education colleges and universities are able to provide specialist careers advice and support for disabled young people.

Lord Nash: Good careers education and guidance should give all young people, including those with disabilities, access to the information they need to make informed decisions. That is why we are investing £90 million over this Parliament to improve careers provision for young people. Careers advice for pupils with special educational needs and disability (SEND) should be based on high aspirations and a personalised approach. Schools and colleges have a legal duty to secure independent careers guidance. This duty applies to all young people up to and including the age of 18 in schools and colleges, and 19- to 25-year-olds in colleges with an Education Health and Care Plan. The 0-25 Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice makes it clear that all children and young people with SEND should be prepared for adulthood, and that this preparation should start early. Local authorities retain their legal responsibility, under section 68 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, to make available support that it considers appropriate to encourage, enable and assist the participation of young people in education or training. For individuals with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, this applies up to the age of 25. Schools and colleges should make use of the local offer published by the local authority that must set out details of SEND provisions in their area – including the full range of post-16 education and training options, and support in preparing for adulthood. In his latest guidance, the Director of Fair Access encourages higher education institutions, through their access agreements, to consider what more they can do to support students with disabilities. This includes considering students’ differing needs to access higher education, succeed in their studies and progress towards appropriate postgraduate study and employment. Higher education institutions are also subject to requirements in the Equality Act 2010. They have clear duties and responsibilities to ensure that disabled students do not face discrimination or less favourable treatment when applying to, and studying in, higher education. The National Careers Service provides free, up-to-date, impartial information, advice and guidance on careers, skills and the labour market in England for everyone, including those with disabilities. We publish destination measures that show the percentage of young people continuing their education in schools, further education colleges, sixth form colleges or higher education institutions. These measures also include apprenticeships and show the percentage who went into employment or training, and those who were not in education, employment or training. The data is also broken down by student characteristics, including the destinations of children with special educational needs leaving key stage 4. This will provide more transparent information on how each school is helping children with disabilities to make the transition into post-16 education, training or employment.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Package Holidays: EU Law

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implications of the new EU Package Travel Directive (2015/2302/EU); and what plans they have to implement that Directive in advance of the UK leaving the EU.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The UK Government was influential in negotiating the new EU Package Travel Directive (2015/2302/EU). In particular the new rules extend protection to holidaymakers who pull together the elements of a package themselves using online providers, as well as those buying one “off the shelf”.Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. During this period the Government will continue to negotiate, implement and apply EU legislation including the updated Package Travel Directive.

Northern Rail Franchise

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 19 October (HL2257), how much has been spent by departments other than the Department for Transport.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: There has been no further expenditure made by any other ministerial department into the Competition and Markets Authority inquiry regarding the overlap between Arriva buses and Arriva Trains. As an independent non-ministerial department, the CMA is responsible for merger inquiries. In this role, it has spent approximately £480k (including staff time, legal fees and consulting fees) investigating the acquisition of the Northern rail franchise by Arriva Rail North Ltd. It is not possible to establish what proportion of this figure was spent on the assessment of the overlap between Arriva Buses and Arriva Trains.

Research Councils

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect Shared Business Services to cease to provide services to Research Councils.

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what the new platform for providing back-office services to Research Councils will be; when it will be operational; and what plans they have for the safe migration of services to the new platform.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: No decisions have been taken beyond what has already been announced by the Department. The detailed plan will be developed in consultation with Partner Organisations and Unions.

Research Councils

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to retain key staff during the migration of back-office Research Council services to a new platform.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The details of these reforms are being worked through, but we will ensure that the longstanding expertise of our partner organisations is not lost. Appropriate transition arrangements will be put in place for those staff transferring and normal legal protections will apply. We will be maintaining open communication with staff and trade unions throughout the process to enable long term planning within the organisations concerned.

Mergers

Lord Vinson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider introducing the national interest test for mergers and acquisitions that was part of the brief of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission into the brief of the Competition and Markets Authority.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: As we build an economy that works for all, the Government will keep the law on mergers and acquisitions under review.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Syria: Peace Negotiations

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they are giving to the six steps towards peace in Syria proposed by Lord Williams of Baglan in the October and November edition of the Chatham House publication The World Today.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The issues suggested by the noble Lord Williams of Baglan are being addressed through the UK's work to tackle the Syria crisis. The International Syria Support Group meets weekly at official level and is supported by the team of the UN Special Envoy for Syria. At UK urging, the UN has established a Working Group with a small secretariat to lead on stabilisation planning for when a political settlement is reached, which the UK is helping fund. Clearly, Russia must be a part of any solution and we support engagement but Russia must stop bombing civilian areas and encourage the regime to do the same if it is genuinely interested in finding a political solution to the conflict.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Royal Parks: Cycleways

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Royal Parks supports the provision of safer and improved cycleways, even at the expense of reduced space for cars and carriages.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: The Royal Parks seeks to balance the needs of all visitors while protecting the intrinsic qualities of the parks. It aims to achieve a safe coexistence between drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. The addition of new cycle provision is one of a number of ways of delivering this.